Handling and/or storage of items has presented numerous challenges, and despite the various handling and storage devices that have been devised, several problems continue to be difficult to resolve.
One example is the problem of storage of electrical cords or cables. Many people tend to leave their cords simply in a pile. Such an approach is unsightly and can be unsafe. Indeed, without better organization of the cords, storage can become a nightmare. One need only consider the PC laptop user trying to untangle the mess of cables from the briefcase in a busy airport.
Typically, wire-ties, tie wraps, cable ties, or twist-ties may be used to store cords in an effort to reduce such problems. However, such items are very difficult to use and require a great deal of manual dexterity. In particular, closing these ties around the bundled cord is quite challenging because the ends are free to go wherever they are pushed. Some of those items, and particularly twist-ties such as are used to close garbage bags, are unsightly, have only a short useful life, and can present a risk of injury due to the metal wire contained therein. Other cable management devices have been proposed, but they are usually quite bulky and again require a great deal of manipulation. By way of example, some cable management devices are molded into a split ring with the ends normally urged together. The ends may be temporarily held apart by the user while a cable is inserted into the device. Such a device is difficult to load with the bundled wire because the ends are normally urged together into a closed or nearly-closed position. The ends may be temporarily held apart by the user while a cable is inserted into the device. Such a device is difficult to load with the bundled wire because the ends are normally urged together into a closed or nearly-closed position.
When not attached to a cable or wire, a small wire tie or similar device is easy to lose. Also, such devices are typically designed for limited use, e.g., they cannot be non-destructively removed, or will experience substantial wear (e.g., metal fatigue) if repeatedly opened and closed. Thus, one cannot avoid losing a twist tie or wire tie by attaching it to the unbundled cable, since doing so will require destruction or damage to the twist tie or wire tie. This is a particular drawback in storage of cables which must be repeatedly bundled and unbundled, e.g., extension cords used with hand tools, portable computer cabling, and other similar applications.
Aside from bundles of wires, in various other situations, objects must be wrapped and held for storage, handling or other reasons; often wire ties, twist ties, or lengths of string are used in such situation, with unsatisfactory results for the same reasons as those noted above: difficulty in use, likelihood of loss, and destruction and wear resulting from repeated use.
Recent patents by the present inventor, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,729,872 and 6,101,684, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, have improved upon the situation described above by introducing handcuff-like elements having a pair of jaws that can self-sustain an open position while a bundled item is inserted, and then the jaws follow a fixed path or trajectory to close and latch around the bundled item. These devices are unlatched by generally pulling against a force generated by a living hinge or spring that keeps the two jaws engaged at their latching ends. This pulling action can be difficult and inconvenient depending upon the orientation, size, and location of the bundle. The person using the existing devices may have to locate and orient their bundles in a way that can accommodate the needed access for unlatching even though they would prefer a different orientation or location.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device that can be released with a different motion and/or direction than is currently available without suffering the drawbacks noted above.
There is also a need for a device that is usable on a very small bundle, such as the wires leading to earbuds for portable entertainment devices. Earbuds, need only use a very small device since earbuds use a very thin wire. Devices such as those of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,729,872 and 6,101,684 could benefit the user of earbuds if they could be made in very small sizes, but their unlatching actions tend to limit how small they can go and still be easily used by the human hand. Therefore, a different unlatching action, able to be used when incorporated into a small device, is a desirable improvement.